There was smoke on the horizon and wildfires burning to the east and southwest, but that didn’t stop Jefferson County from turning out in force for its biggest summer tradition. The 2026 Jefferson County Fair & Rodeo closed Saturday after a four-day run at the Event Complex on Fairgrounds Road in Madras, and by most accounts, the community showed up and showed out.
Families, 4-H youth, Future Farmers of America competitors, livestock exhibitors, and longtime fair fans filled the 50-plus-acre grounds through the week of July 22–25 — even as the Brewer Fire burned to the east and the Akawa Butte Fire smoldered to the southwest.
A New Face in Place of the Carnival
Perhaps the biggest talking point of this year’s fair wasn’t on the rodeo schedule — it was what replaced the carnival. When the fair’s usual carnival vendor pulled out weeks before the event due to staffing shortages, fair board chair Dan Comingore braced for backlash.
“When we lost the carnival, I was fully anticipating a lot of negative feedback, to be quite honest,” Comingore said. “But it was quite the opposite, and I think that just shows — that’s a testimony to our community.”
Event complex coordinator Bart Platt worked quickly to bring in 541 Bounce, a Bend-based entertainment company, to fill the gap. The company arrived with bouncy houses, a towering Daredevil Island jump, kid-friendly paintball, and other family games — and the crowd embraced it.
Karah Brodie, a Jefferson County native now living in Portland, makes the trip to Madras every summer for the Fourth of July and the fair. Her 3-year-old son Jack took on Daredevil Island without hesitation.
“He’s been having a great time!” Brodie said. “We’re probably going to be back a few times.”
The Heart of the Fair
At its core, the Jefferson County Fair remained what it has always been: a celebration of rural life and community pride. The smell of fair food drifted across the grounds as kids in 4-H and FFA colors led pigs, lambs, and cattle through the show arenas for judging. Historical Society volunteers offered free tours of the Farrell homestead house and the early-day schoolhouse on the fairgrounds, with antique car rides connecting the two stops.
Fair board members and event complex staff worked throughout the week to keep the grounds clean and operations running smoothly — a logistical feat made more complicated by the fire situation unfolding across the county.
Rodeo and Entertainment
The rodeo portion of the fair brought bull riding, barrel racing, and roping events to the arena, drawing competitors and spectators from across Central Oregon and beyond. Live entertainment rounded out each evening, keeping families at the fairgrounds well into the night.
Despite the challenges — a last-minute vendor change, smoke in the air, and a county dealing with active evacuations in its northern reaches — fair organizers say the week was a success and a reminder of what makes Jefferson County tick.
“It’ll be really exciting to see how that plays out,” Comingore said of the 541 Bounce partnership. “We’re excited about it.”
The Jefferson County Event Complex is located on Fairgrounds Road in Madras. The facility hosts events year-round; visit jeffersoncountyor.gov/fairgrounds for upcoming bookings and information.